PHOTOS COURTESY HERE FOR THE COOKIE TABLE

A cookie table is a must when it comes to Pittsburgh weddings. 

But the necessary element can also be a time-consuming one, which is why companies like Here for the Cookie Table and bakeries like Bella Christie’s Sweet Boutique can help with the process. 

Inspired by her own daughter’s wedding, Marsha Houston started Here for the Cookie Table in 2021.

“I wanted to make her this gorgeous cookie table … I spent three and a half hours setting it up,” Houston says. Running from hair and makeup to mother-daughter photos to the actual wedding, there was no time to spare. 

“Eleven o’clock at night, I stood there looking at the cookie table that I now had to clean up, and I thought, ‘No mother or family member should have to do this the day of the wedding.’”

Houston and her team of designers carefully take the sweets and treats from the families to make memorable and inviting displays. 

“I want the display to complement the cookies,” Houston says. “The bakers worked so hard on them and the family wants to see their cookies displayed.” 

If the couple wants the display to be “the star of the show,” though, Houston can make it happen. “We have some that want to make it really special; we’ll add pictures of their parents and their grandparents. 

“If I don’t have something that matches their vibe, I will go find it. I’ve turned chandeliers into display pieces, plant stands, anything I see,” Houston says. 

They even help with the clean-up process. “We get back about 45 minutes before the end of the wedding and have the DJ do a last call for the cookie table.” 

Bella Christie’s Sweet Boutique can handle the cookies themselves if family and friends aren’t available for baking or the couple wants to add variety. 

“You don’t have to worry about asking a bunch of family members to do something extra for the wedding, you can let the bakery handle everything for you,” says Stacey Sterritt from Bella Christie’s.

The bakery will also take on the work of ensuring there’s a variety for a large number of guests, Sterritt says. “We do pretty much anything … classic cookies, gourmet cookies.” 

BELLA CHRISTIE’S CREATED CUSTOM COOKIES FOR MADISON MARTIN AND RYAN VIOLA’S WEDDING IN 2022. | PHOTO BY EVA LIN PHOTOGRAPHY

The bakery offers a “premium” section on their menu, too, including some red velvet cookies, lavender shortbread and French macarons, but it all comes down to what the couple wants.  

“The most rewarding part is definitely seeing the setup when it’s completely finished,” Sterritt says.